Miami Mentions: 2020 Rivals250 February Update

Miami Mentions: 2020 Rivals250 February Update

And there was plenty of movement in the most recent version of the rankings, as there were tons of movers and shakers after another round of camps and evaluations revealed new insight on the rising senior class.

How did Miami and Category20 do? The Canes' total number of commits inside the Rivals250 actually went up from five to six since the last update. RB Don Chaney Jr. and CB Jaiden Francois each gave Miami their commitments, while DT Willie Moise took a bit of a tumble outside the Rivals250. Of Miami commits, it was Moise falling the furthest, while WR Bryan Robinson got the biggest bump and is now UM's highest ranked commit, getting a nice 37 spot raise.

There were also plenty of Hurricanes' targets that made an appearance on the Rivals250, reflecting yet another deep pool of talent in Florida this year.

Without further delay, here's a handy, dandy list of the Miami commits and targets in the newest Rivals250.

**It was borderline criminal to see UM CB commit Jaiden Francois drop 12 spots. Now, a smaller drop like that usually means that Rivals’ opinion of him did not change really and that Rivals’ became higher on a few players previously behind him. However, having a kid like Francois that just dominated South Florida and set the record for interceptions, who also has solid measurables at 6’0” 185, should be much higher. At the Opening Miami this weekend, Francois continued to impress, as his ball skills are elite and he looks to be getting more and more comfortable on the outside. He can run and cover with just about anyone and can be safely left alone on an island. Francois’ potential as a shutdown corner is tantalizing.

**I was fine with WR Marc Britt’s fall of 44 spots after his underwhelming junior campaign at Carol City. Britt disappeared frequently from the offense and often took a backseat to WR Thaiu Jones-Bell, who himself moved into the rankings at #240 overall after a breakout year as the Chiefs’ primary receiving target. Britt’s potential is obviously still highly regarded as indicated by still being in the top 100, but we’d like to see him be more consistent on the field. A move to Miami Christian over the off-season could reinvigorate him. I see Britt falling on UM’s board right now, but he still lists Miami as one of his favorites along with Florida, Alabama, and Penn State.

“DT Timmy Smith from Florida is a guy I like a lot and will continue to rise in the rankings. Big, athletic defensive tackles are hard to come by and he will get better as he improves his conditioning and works on his technique a bit more.”

Smith has visited UM a few times in the past, but Clemson looks to be an early leader for the big defensive tackle. As for Harrell, he has been everybody’s favorite fast-rising prospect in the past few months and the offers have really started to pour in for the Miami Central DB. At 6’2” 180, Harrell has a great frame and breaks on the ball with explosion. Some even feel he has surpassed defensive backfield teammate and elite prospect in his own right Henry Gray. There’s no doubt Miami is pushing hard for Harrell, who visited twice in the past month and plans to see UM again soon.